where every day is an adventure

Migraine

Renji has no context to the post, but I hate making posts without photos.

I don’t get migraines often, in fact I’ve only had 3 or 4 in my entire life. But when I hear people talk about doing things, like grocery shopping, or driving somewhere with a migraine, I don’t understand.

Every migraine I have ever had has landed me in the Emergency Room.

Only twice in my life have I been in so much pain my body’s reaction was to start dry heaving. Once was during Evey’s childbirth. Easily the most pain I had ever experienced in my life. The second time was Tuesday night. I can’t even begin to explain how much it hurt. 3 am, on the bathroom floor, sobbing and heaving. My husband woke up and insisted I go to the hospital. I felt guilty for making him drive me there, and he had to wake up Evey. They sat in the waiting room for almost 3 hours while I got pumped full of meds.

I am extremely thankful for modern medicine. I tend to think I have a pretty high pain tolerance. But this pain was like nothing I have ever felt before. The nurse asked me at the hospital if I had driven myself there, I think she was hoping my answer was no because I couldn’t take my eyes out of my cold damp rag I was clutching to my face. To her relief I had not. I can’t imagine how people can do anything with a migraine. I sat in that hospital bed, curled in a ball, trying to not heave, or cry.

As soon as the meds kicked in and things subsided I was allowed to go home. At this point it was nearly 6 am and Paul had to go to work, Evey was wide awake, and I was groggy as hell. I locked her in the bedroom with me and gave her the iPad and I was out. I was only able to get a couple hours of sleep but when I woke up I felt so much better. I could still feel the headache though, but it didn’t hurt. It’s hard to explain but if you’ve ever worn your hair in a really tight ponytail, and when you take it out your scalp feels really weird for a minute. The release of tension almost hurts but it’s a good hurt. That’s how the inside of my head felt most of the day. So I spent the day cramming for my Anthropology final, and then doing my final online. But most of the day is a hazy blur, a migraine hangover is a weird thing.

It’s been about 48 hours since the onset of migraine, and I can still feel it a little bit, just a strange uncomfortable feeling in my head. I have been trying to avoid triggers; eyestrain, strong scents, bright lights. So I haven’t been on the computer much. I spend the afternoon trying to make salt dough ornaments with Evey and doing laundry. I will likely avoid the computer as much as I can tomorrow too, I think it’s a huge issue for the headaches I’ve been having building up to the migraine. I think I need to find my glasses and try wearing them again. But for now I am just hoping the meds they gave me ward off any residual migraine and I am able to continue to function.